Seth Stohs

Per the Can-Am League, the Twins signed Leandro Castro recently:

According to ESPN.com's Buster Olney, Brian Dozier is the ninth-best second baseman in baseball. Maybe we are biased as Twins fans, but it's hard to see him ranked that low, while I assume the Dodgers love it. I'ts a subscriber article, but here are the Top 10: 1.) Altuve 2.) Cano 3.) Kinsler 4.) D Murphy 5.) Pedroia 6.) LeMahieu 7.) Zobrist 8.) Kipnis 9.) Dozier 10.) Odor HM: Schoop, Forsythe, Panik, C Hernandez, J Harrison, N Walker. WC (Wild Card): Javier Baez

Brandon Lopez played a lot of shortstop for the E-Twins as did Ariel Montesino. It's mostly about giving him the opportunity to play more regularly (though guys always get days off in the rookie leagues, some splitting of time). I don't know what they (The Twins) see in him as a top end. Most players in the rookie leagues are playing multiple locations and I don't think they make any final determinations based on a half-season. But, playing around the infield will benefit him long-term.

That's what it is. And Mauer needed to move up... Mauer's path was GCL coach, GCL manager, Ft. Myers manager, Cedar Rapids manager, and now Chattanooga. When he went from Ft. Myers to Cedar Rapids, it could be seen as a demotion. However, consider that the year he went there, he was tasked with working with Buxton, Polanco, Berrios, Walker, Harrison, Rogers, Melotakis, and so many other important, key prospects. Also, it was the team's first year in Cedar Rapids. There would be media attention, and they knew that his style and personality would do well with the media, the national media brought on by Buxton's presence, FSN making the trip down there. In other words, minor league managerial and coaching assignments are not necessarily linear in the way that players' promotions are. (that's the long-winded way of getting there) When the Twins hired Mientkiewicz, it was known he wanted to be in Florida, close enough to see his wife and son (who live in the Keys). They could come up in the summer and he could go there on off days and such. He worked well with the Miracle team in 2014, and they wanted him to keep working with that same group of prospects, so he agreed to spend the year or two in Chattanooga with that group. Now this isn't anything that I've heard from the Twins directly. Some of it is my opinion. Some of it is known publicly.

Use promo code FWD15 to get 15% off of paperback books... (was working this morning still, according to Cody...

That's awesome. Very good idea!

Not sure if anyone found it or not, but I googled "Twins Daily" "Joe Roa" and it gave one listing... http://twinsdaily.com/_/minnesota-twins-news/minnesota-twins/the-all-time-worst-twins-butch-huskey-r5254 It's in the comments...

Recently, I started doing some Twins chats on Twitter/Periscope on my phone. I know some of you have watched them live, but if not, I'll keep a running list of the chats here: 1/2/17 (Seth) - Periscope Link --- Twitter Link 1/4/17 (Seth) - Periscope Link --- Twitter Link 1/13/17 (Seth) - Periscope Link --- Twitter Link Share your thoughts on anything here.

The Twins used their 14th round draft selection in June to take Andre Jernigan, a four-year shortstop at Xavier University. He signed quickly and went to Elizabethton where he started off slow before he took off. From the 2016 Recap in his profile in the 2017 Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook (which is now available in paperback and pdf): “Jernigan made his professional debut in the Appy League. In his first eight games, he went 1-for-16 with 10 strikeouts and three walks. Over his next 14 games, he batted .302/.327/.528 with seven extra-base hits and 11 RBI. During the season’s final 14 games, he got on base 37% of the time.” He made the adjustment offensvely while learning a new position defensively and adjusting to life as a professional baseball player. Today, we are happy to share a Q&A that Jernigan was gracious enough to participate in for us. We thank him for doing so. Image courtesy of David McQueen (photo of Andre Jernigan) The Twins used their 14th round draft selection in June to take Andre Jernigan, a four-year shortstop at Xavier University. He signed quickly and went to Elizabethton where he started off slow before he took off. From the 2016 Recap in his profile in the 2017 Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook (which is now available in paperback and pdf): “Jernigan made his professional debut in the Appy League. In his first eight games, he went 1-for-16 with 10 strikeouts and three walks. Over his next 14 games, he batted .302/.327/.528 with seven extra-base hits and 11 RBI. During the season’s final 14 games, he got on base 37% of the time.”He made the adjustment offensvely while learning a new position defensively and adjusting to life as a professional baseball player. Today, we are happy to share a Q&A that Jernigan was gracious enough to participate in for us. We thank him for doing so. As a red-shirt junior in 2016, Andre Jernigan was the Big East Player of the Year. He was also named to the Big East All-Academic team for the third year in a row. Let’s get to know him a little bit. Seth Stohs (SS): Growing up in Indiana, which was your favorite team and who were some of your favorite players? Andre Jernigan (AJ): In Indiana, we don't have any MLB teams, but my father has always been a huge Chicago Cubs fan so naturally my brother and I grew up Cubs fans also. As far as favorite players I grew up watching, I'd say Ken Griffey Jr. And Barry Bonds. Some greats I looked up to included Barry Larkin, Reggie Jackson, and Ricky Henderson. SS: What were some of your best memories from high school baseball? Did you play other sports? AJ: There are far too many to list. There were so many great memories from back then. I'd have to say that of all those memories, the best was all the time spent with teammates and friends I grew up playing with and against. I played basketball for a little bit, then focused on baseball. SS: What were your options coming out of high school? What was it about Xavier that made it the right place for you? AJ: Going to play college baseball was a longtime goal of mine. Coach Googins made it an achievable goal when he offered me a scholarship to play at Xavier University. I absolutely loved the family-like feeling of the team and university along with the quality of education it offered. The hard-working, blue-collar culture that Coach Googins instilled in the program made my decision even easier. SS: Did you talk to a lot of scouts before the draft? Specifically, did you talk to any of the Twins scouts? AJ: I filled out a fair share of questionnaires leading up to the draft. Jay Weitzel was the Twins scout that I had the most contact with. SS: Drafted by the Twins in the 14th round... is that about where you thought you might be selected before the draft? AJ: Going into the draft I was not exactly sure where I was going to be selected. I had been told anywhere the second day of the draft, up to early the third day. At the time I was trying to stay concentrated on helping Xavier win a conference tournament and playing in a regional down in Nashville. SS: Did you watch or listen to the draft? Where were you and who were you with when you found out? How busy was your phone at that time? AJ: I was back home in Indiana with my parents, younger brother, grandmother, and cousin when I found out the news. I've always watched the draft but this year was certainly a bit more exciting. SS: What was the biggest adjustment you had to make, going from college to the pro game? On or off the field? AJ: One of the biggest adjustments was getting use to the everyday grind and getting into a routine on a daily basis. Having played shortstop my entire life, moving over to second base and learning the position this season was also quite an adjustment. I found it important for me to begin to concentrate more on the mental side of the game such as having different approaches that change with the day, pitcher, and situation. SS: How did you feel about your first professional baseball season? How did you enjoy your time in Elizabethton? AJ: I felt like it was certainly a fun experience. It was far different than the previous college seasons I had been a part of. Playing everyday and being at the field for the vast majority of the day was exciting for me. The fans of Elizabethton, along with my coaches and teammates made for an unforgettable experience. Looking back on it, I absolutely enjoyed my time there this past summer. SS: In these early stages of your career, what would you say are your biggest strengths as a player? AJ: I am always looking to learn more about my game and about the game of baseball as well. With that being said one of my biggest strengths is being able learn different things quickly. I believe my athleticism allows for me to be able to apply those learnings efficiently. SS: What were some of your focuses at Instructs? What are the things that you feel you need to improve over the offseason and going forward? AJ: I worked a lot both with an approach at the plate as well as making a few swing adjustments to help with consistency. Defensively, I worked on smoothing out my movements and actions at second base. I also spent some time working and playing third base. I always feel the need to improve consistency both offensively and defensively as a baseball player, so I'm always striving to make adjustments to allow that to happen. SS: What are some of your plans for the offseason? Baseball Training, but also what do you enjoy doing away from the game of baseball? AJ: I've spent the majority of my time getting ready for spring training in March. However, I have spent my fair share of time relaxing. Getting away from baseball allows for me to clear my mind for the time being. Being the person I am though, a week into the offseason and I was already looking forward to starting up again on the spring. SS: Who are some of the coaches and others who have helped you get to this point in your career? AJ: My mom and dad introduced me to the game at a young age so I have to thank them. Coach Googins and all of the coaches at Xavier helped get me to where I am today. Finally, a former summer coach of mine by the name of Quentin Brown has been a great mentor to me over the years. SS: Favorite Baseball Movie? AJ: HardballLong live G-Baby! Thank you very much to Andre Jernigan for answering our questions and giving us the chance to get to know him better. Feel free to leave comments and ask questions down below. View full article

Yeah, I was primarily talking about the first several rounds. The Twins have done great for years at signing their Top 12-15 picks. Drafting for organizational need (position wise) shouldn't happen until Round 18-20 or so. And even then, the players you draft should have some sort of develop-able tool.

Good article by David Dorsey (New Press in Ft. Myers) on Ft. Myers native Tommy Watkins and his new job as manager of the Kernels. It includes a 2 minute interview with Watkins on the job. Check it out here: http://www.news-press.com/story/sports/2017/01/04/tommy-watkins-gets-promoted-doug-mientkiewicz-returns-fort-myers-miracle/96154658/

Always draft the player that your scouting department feels will be the best player in the long term... whether that player is a pitcher or hitter, college or high school...

Yeah, that was my prediction over the weekend. Someone asked me when the Dozier trade would go down, and I said that it would happen a couple of days after the Handbook came out... so, we're looking at the next couple of days for a Dozier deal.

It's OK to do both. Ha! For me it's fun to see people skimming through it while at a Twins game or spring training, or seeing pictures of people getting autographs in it. That's why it will always be available as a paperback. But the pdf also has its advantages too. 1.) it's on your computer, and 2.) it's available to download as soon as it is purchased. You don't have to wait a week or ten days to start reading it. I've talked to a lot of people who order the paperback to get that process going and then buy the pdf just to start on it right away. Ha! I am curious... those of you who read this... how many of the Handbooks do you have? Which ones?

6-1, 186 (at spring training).

We apologize and hope sincerely that the wait will be worth it... and hasn't caused you any pain.

The Miracle announce on Twitter that Doug Mientkiewicz is back as their manager this year:

I have a hard time cutting my list down to 10. I have a current stance on the PED guys. If they played before there was formal testing and penalties for usage, they're in if they qualify. Guys like Manny Ramirez and Rafael Palmiero, who failed tests and were suspended would not make the list. That, of course, is subject to change, but that's where I'm at for now. My 10: 1.) Bonds - Best hitter of the last 50 years if not ever 2.) Clemens - One of the best pitchers of the last 30 years 3.) Ivan Rodriguez - arguably one of the best catchers ever 4.) Tim Raines - final time on the ballot, and if not for Rickey, he's one of the top leadoff men in history. 5.) Mike Mussina - weird, but it's amazing how quietly he had a tremendous career. 6.) Curt Schilling - definitely a Hall of Famer, silly that people are using his political comments/thoughts to not vote for him 7.) Gary Sheffield - nearly 2700 hits and 509 homers. Intimidating hitter. After that, it becomes more difficult for me as there are 6 guys I would most consider for the remaining three spots. (numbers rounded) Jeff Bagwell - OPS+ 149, 2300 hits, 450 HR (1B) Vlad Guerrero - OPS+ 140, 2600 hits, 450 HR (Corner OF) Fred McGriff - 134 OPS+, 2500 hits, 493 HR (1B) Jeff Kent - 123 OPS+, 2500 hits, 377 HR (as a 2B) Trevor Hoffman - 61-75, 601 Saves, ERA+ 141, 9.4 K/9, 2.5 BB/9 Billy Wagner - 47-40, 422 Saves, ERA+ 187, 11.9 K/9, 3.0 BB/9 For Comparison, I'm going to put Mariano Rivera (clear HOFer) and Joe Nathan (2nd best closer over that same era in the AL) Rivera - 82-60, 652 Saves, ERA+ 205, 8.2 K/9, 2.0 BB/9 Nathan - 64-34, 377 Saves, ERA+ 151, 9.5 K/9, 3.4 BB/9 With that... 8.) Trevor Hoffman 9.) Jeff Bagwell 10.) Fred McGriff And I will apologize to Guerrero, Wagner and Kent. I strongly considered going with Kent ahead of Bagwell because Bagwell will probably get in and Kent may struggle to stay on the ballot, and he's one of the better second baseman (offensively, at least) in MLB history. Not easy to keep it to 10!

Today we are pleased to present the below Q&A with Twins left-handed pitching prospect, Lachlan Wells. He began 2016 in extended spring training, ready to go to Elizabethton after pitching in the GCL in 2015. Instead, in late June, he was sent to Cedar Rapids and was very good for the Kernels the rest of the season. In 12 starts, he went 6-4 with a miniscule 1.77 ERA. In 71.1 innings, he walked 16 and struck out 63. Very impressive numbers on their own, but when you consider he will not turn 20 until late February, it is even moreso. “Wells grew up in Newcastle, Australia, and played cricket through age 14. That’s when he began to focus more on baseball. At age 15, he was already working in the upper-80s and was seen by Howie Norsetter. In 2015, Wells went 5-2 with a 2.09 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP in the GCL. In 47.1 innings, he walked 11 and struck out 49. As the season ended, he traveled to Japan for the 18U World Cup. Wells now sits in the low-90s. He has a good curveball, and his changeup is probably his best pitch. He has a funky delivery with a lot of arm action. He can be deceptive to hitters as well. His twin brother Alexander signed with the Orioles organization late in 2015 and made his pro debut in 2016. ” That was an excerpt from Wells’ profile in the 2017 Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook which you will be able to order for yourself today! The Prospect Handbook will be available in paperback and as a pdf for immediate download. Get your copy ordered today! Image courtesy of Seth Stohs (photo of Lachlan Wells) Today we are pleased to present the below Q&A with Twins left-handed pitching prospect, Lachlan Wells. He began 2016 in extended spring training, ready to go to Elizabethton after pitching in the GCL in 2015. Instead, in late June, he was sent to Cedar Rapids and was very good for the Kernels the rest of the season. In 12 starts, he went 6-4 with a miniscule 1.77 ERA. In 71.1 innings, he walked 16 and struck out 63. Very impressive numbers on their own, but when you consider he will not turn 20 until late February, it is even moreso. “Wells grew up in Newcastle, Australia, and played cricket through age 14. That’s when he began to focus more on baseball. At age 15, he was already working in the upper-80s and was seen by Howie Norsetter. In 2015, Wells went 5-2 with a 2.09 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP in the GCL. In 47.1 innings, he walked 11 and struck out 49. As the season ended, he traveled to Japan for the 18U World Cup. Wells now sits in the low-90s. He has a good curveball, and his changeup is probably his best pitch. He has a funky delivery with a lot of arm action. He can be deceptive to hitters as well. His twin brother Alexander signed with the Orioles organization late in 2015 and made his pro debut in 2016. ”That was an excerpt from Wells’ profile in the 2017 Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook which you will be able to order for yourself today! The Prospect Handbook will be available in paperback and as a pdf for immediate download. Get your copy ordered today! A year ago, we did a Get To Know ‘Em Q&A with Lachlan Wells following his debut season in the GCL. Today, we dig just a little bit deeper to find out his thoughts about his 2016 season and more. Seth Stohs (SS): We’ll start right from the beginning of 2016. It was your first spring training in the States. What was the experience like? Was it what you expected? Lachlan Wells (LW): Well, getting to spring training and seeing a lot of guys there compared to extended spring in 2015 was very nerve wracking, and it wasn't what I expected it to be. So that was a bit of a shock. But once I got settled in, I was fine.SS: What things did you focus on during extended spring training? LW: I focused on pitch location and first-pitch strikes a lot in extended becoming more consistent with all my pitches for strikes and being able to improve of putting guys away in 0-2 and 1-2 counts.SS: Were you expecting to go to Elizabethton from extended, and were you surprised to go to Cedar Rapids? LW: I had my bags packed and ready to go to Elizabethton. Then a couple of days before the bus was leaving to Etown I got called in Brad Steil’s office, and he said I was staying in Fort Myers for a few more days, then joining Cedar Rapids after the All-Star break.SS: You were one of the younger players on the Kernels roster the rest of the season. How was the adjustment to the clubhouse in Cedar Rapids? LW: The adjustment from extended to Cedar Rapids was a little nerve-wracking, but I had a lot of help getting to know what goes on up there and the way they go about their business by Sam Gibbons which helped me a lot.SS: You put up remarkable numbers throughout your time with the Kernels. In you opinion, what were some of your keys to success? LW: I just went up there and tried to be the best I could, and not taking a step back just because I was younger than a lot of guys. Also, in between starts I would work a lot with (Kernels pitching coach) JP (Martinez) with video or in bullpens just to make little adjustments that would help me.SS: What were your goals heading into the 2016 season, and how do you feel you did in accomplishing them? LW: My goals were to play in Cedar Rapids and to improve/learn as much as I could during the season. I accomplished by listening to all the advice that had been thrown at me by all the pitching coaches I've worked with and taking (that) into bullpens then into games.SS: What has your offseason been like? What are some of the things you done to stay away from baseball? LW: My offseason has been nice and relaxed. I've been playing a lot of golf and going to beach or hanging by the pool with friends.SS:A what point do you start your workouts and throwing programs for the 2017 season? LW: I started my throwing program in December, and I've been working out since October.SS: What pitches do you throw? What did you consider your out-pitch through the season? LW: I throw a fastball, curveball, and change-up. I would have to say my out-pitch would be my change-up.SS: Have you started to think about your goals for the 2017 season yet? LW: My goals for the 2017 season would be pitching in Fort Myers with the Miracle and just to improve my pitching in all areas.SS: Is it possible that you could pitch in the WBC this spring? You’ve pitched in international competitions before. What does it mean for you to represent your country? LW: It is possible that I could be pitching in the WBC. There is no better feeling to be out on the field wearing the green and gold, and I would love to do it again.SS: What are the areas of your game that you would like to spend time working to improve in the offseason and going forward? LW: I'd like to improve my strength, so I'll be in the weight room working hard to improve on that as much as I can. Also, my fitness, so I'll be running a bit more this offseason to improve that.SS: What is the best piece of advice you got from a teammate or coach in 2016? LW: The best advice I got was just have fun.SS: What music do you listen to before a start or on the bus rides? LW: I liked listening to a bit of everything. Doesn't really worry me.SS: Favorite movies from the long bus rides in the Midwest League? LW: When I wasn't sleeping on the bus, I'd say Eastbound and Down TV series. Always a good laugh.We certainly wish him continued success during the 2017 season and beyond. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to discuss below. View full article

Jeff Johnson's story in the Cedar Rapids Gazette on Tommyh Watkins taking over as the Kernels manager in 2017! http://www.thegazette.com/subject/sports/blogs/diamonds-and-ice-by-jeff-johnson/tommy-watkins-will-manage-2017-cedar-rapids-kernels-20170103

Erik Rasmussen is still pitching coordinator and Rick Epstein was named the minor league hitting coordinator late last year, maybe August or September.

John Manuel, JJ Cooper and Michael Lanana joined to discuss their Top 10 (and many more) Twins Prospects in their podcast. Gotta say, it's not exactly positive, but it's still worth the listen. http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/2017-twins-top-10-prospects-podcast/#c08U9qS29ZV34xiE.97

The Kernels announced via press release that Tommy Watkins will be their manager in 2017! I'm very happy for him, finally getting this opportunity to manage. He's put his time in as a hitting coach. He'll do great. Players love him. He knows the game inside and out.